A car exploded outside a US embassy this afternoon following a swarm of emergency services to the scene. Around 6pm local time, authorities were alerted a vehicle was on fire in Armenia’s capital, Yerevan. The building is located on Isakov Avenue, parallel to the Hrazdan River. According to local media, around 6pm local time, the blaze happened in front of the US embassy.Shortly after the explosion, fire and rescue teams and police attended the scene. The patrols of the 4th Battalion of the Yerevan City Regiment of the Patrol Service of the Police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Armenia arrived on the scene, led by Regiment Commander Andranik Isakhanyan and Battalion Commander Arsen Stepanyan.Under Mr Isakhanyan’s orders, the authorities suspended traffic from the US embassy to the Hagtanak Bridge whilst fire fighters fought the burning vehicle. The driver of the car has reportedly been hospitalised with burn injuries. The US embassy is on Isakov Avenue in central Yerevan, Armenia | GOOGLE STREET VIEWIt is not yet known what caused the fire and if there were any other injuries other than the driver. Armenia is a landlocked nation in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia, within the Caucasus region. It borders Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Iran. Currently, tensions are building between the US and Armenia’s neighbour, Iran, as President Trump is reportedly holding crisis meetings regarding the middle-eastern nation. Tensions are building between the US and Iran as American military firepower assembles in the Middle East | GETTY The US has been flexing its military might through an increased presence of its aircraft and seafaring arsenal in the region in the past few days. In fact, the military build-up of infantry, naval and aerial firepower on Iran’s border is the biggest since the US’s 2003 invasion of Iraq. Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday to conduct naval war games in response to America’s building armada.President Donald Trump said in a press conference today that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and that there will never be “peace in the Middle East” if the nation continues its nuclear proliferation.It is still unclear, however, if Mr Trump has approved military action against Iran. Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary, said diplomacy was always Mr Trump’s first option.She added: “Iran would be very wise to make a deal with President Trump and with this administration.”Armenia is considered to be an emerging democracy, following a 2018 political transformation. The west Asian nation underwent a major political shift in 2018 after widespread antigovernment protests and elections led to the removal of a long-entrenched ruling elite. Since then, the authorities have sought to tackle persistent challenges such as systemic corruption, lack of transparency in decision-making, weaknesses in the electoral process, and shortcomings in the rule of law.Iran and Armenia appear to have a cordial relationship, despite having ideological differences. In 2024, Armenia and Iran expanded their military cooperation, reporting to have signed a deal worth $500million.